Portable power-driven mixer



Jan. M, 195@ B. EsslcK 2,494

PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN MIXER Filed March 1v, 194.7 A 2 sheets-sheet 1 .2 o H 8O 29 j? 4 a/ 63` 62 f Pf 43 ,fl-f" g4 E P2 23; in: W mhh .so 7- 7/ ,'ffJ 45 l 4 55 i my@ a/ 4+ i' :"5 QPF-f 4 ,c sefgawg'ffw' '4' Jan. M, E95@ B. EsslcK 2,494,1119 PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN MIXER I Filed March 1'7, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f. ff'

Patented Jan. 10, 1950 2,494,119 PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN MIXER Bryant Essick, Los

Angeles, Calif., assignor to Essick Manufacturing Company,

Los Angeles,

Calif., a corporation of California Application March 17, 1947, Serial No. 735,118

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a portable power driven mixer and it is a general object of thefinvention to provide a simple practical and improved mixer suitable for handling materials such as plaster, cement, or the like.

There are many situations in which a portable power driven mixer of the general character above referred to may be used to advantage. The use of such machines is increasing. However, their use has heretofore been limited due to the fact that they are generally diicult or cumbersome to handle and to be dependable and rugged they have required expensive, heavy construction.

It is a general object of my present invention to provide a mixer of the general character referred to which is of very simple, inexpensive construction, making the machine practical for general use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mixer of the character referred to which is durable and dependable. The mixer that I have provided involves few simple reliable wearing parts and it is free or parts or mechanisms subject to failure or mechanical trouble.

Another object of the invention is to providea mixer of the character referred to which is flexible and convenient to use. The machine that I have provided is such that it can be easily transported and maneuvered and it is exceptionally convenient to load and unload when in operation.

Another important feature of the present invention is to provide a frame for a machine of the general character referred to which frame is particularly simple in form and construction. The frame that I have provided involves a minimum number of simple, inexpensive parts related to form a strong rigid structure that is durable and effective in operation.

It is another object of the invention to provide a simple practical improved yoke for a mixer of the character referred to. The yoke that I have provided is a fabricated element formed of simple, inexpensive parts and is such that it can be inexpensively manufactured so that it is strong and'durable and free of defects.

Another object of my invention is to provide a power driven mixer of the typer referred to in-v cluding a simple practical improved arrange' ment and mounting of the power unit or engine. Through the construction that I have provided theengine is located sov that it contributes to proper balance'of the machine and it is mounted? oricarried by frame elements supporting other' i present invention. Fig.

enlarged detailed sectional view d parts of the machine so that it requires no special frame construction.

It is a further object of my present inventionv to provide a portable power driven mixer of the character referred to including a rotatable mix--` ing bowl carried in a yoke which is rotatable, the structure being such that the bowl can be rotated between a full upright position and a fully inverted position.

It is another object of the present invention to' provide a power driven mixer of the general. character referred to wherein the drive between the engine employed for power and the bowl of the mixer involves a belt adjustable through. shifting of the engine mounting on theframe' which supports the mixing bo'wl.

The various objects and features'ofmy invention will be fully understood from vthe following detailed descriptiony of a typical preferred formv and application ofthe invention, throughout, which description reference-is made tothe ac-. companying drawings, in which: l

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a typical power driven mixer involving the structure of my- 2 is a sectional View of.v the structure taken substantially as indicated byl line 2-2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view-of the mixer shown in Fig.. 1 being a view of the framealone with the other elements of the device removed therefrom. -Fig. 4 is an enlarged View taken as indicated by line 4 4 on Fig; 1. Fig. 5` is an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated,A by line 5 5 on Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sec-vx tional view showing apart of the-drive provided by the engine and mixing bowl. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detailed sectional view showing the mounting of the mixing bowl in the yoke. Fig; 8v is an taken substantially as indicated by line l8 8 on'Fig.' 2, and- Fig. 9 is an enlarged Vsectional View taken substantially as indicated-jby line 9-'9 on Fig. 1.

The machine of the present inventioninvolves; generally, a frame A, wheels B supporting the rear end portion-'of theframeya single foot C' supporting the forward end of the frame, a draft; tongue D projecting forward from the frame; aligned bearings' E carried by the frame, ayoke: F rotatably supported bythe bearings, retainingmeansl G releasably retaining the yoke in ay predetermined rotative position, a mixing bowl 'I-I; mounting means J rotatably supporting the mixing bowl in the yoke',-power means K, mounting; means L' fori the power means K whereby lt-is, supported n the'l frame' A; and drive' means Mi between the,power"meansK and the bowl H f.

The frame A is a highly important element of the structure or machine and in its preferred form it involves two bearing supports, one a front bearing support Ii), the other a rear bearing support I I. The frame also includes a lateral spreader I2 at the rear of the machine stabilizing the rear support II, a longitudinal spreader I3 extending between the front and rear supports spacing and coupling them together, and braces I4 and l5 for the front and rear bearing supports, respectively.

The front bearing support is preferably a simple, straight, vertical or upright leg 20, the upper end of which carries the forward bearing `2| while the lower end is rigidly joined to the `forward end of the longitudinal spreader I3. To gain a simple sturdy inexpensive construction I Yform the forward support I of a single integral leg member and I have found it advantageous to employ a channel iron in the frame. The front'or forward bearing 2| may be mounted on or attached to the upper end of the front leg in any suitable manner, for instance, it may be permanently welded thereto so that itis, in effect', a permanent rigid portion ofthe iront les.

The back or rear bearing support I is a divided structure involving two rear legs 22 preferably joined together at their upper ends where they support a back or rear bearing 23. The rear legs 22 are preferably straight members which are oppositely inclined so that they extend downwardly and laterally in opposite directions from the point where they support the bearing 23.

The pitch or `inclination of the rear'legs 22 is such that their lower ends are spaced a substantial 'distance apart, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The lower ends of the rear legs 22 are made secure or are fixed to the ends o the lateral spreader I2. In practice I may employ welded connections between the legs 22 and the spreader I2. The legs 22 may vary Widely in form and construction. However, in practice I prefer to employ simple angle irons for the legs and I arrange the angle irons so that they have f' nanges 25 with rearwardly facing sides or faces 26 at the rear oi the machine to accommodate the mounting means L hereinafter described.

The lateral spreader I2 may bea simple straight horizontally disposed member which extends between and connects to the lower ends of the rear legs 22 to tie them together and to brace them in the desired spaced relation. In practice the lateral spreader I2 may be a simple bar or tube such as is shown throughout the drawings.

The longitudinal spreader is the sole element o the frame extending between the front and rear bearing supports and is located `at the bottom of the frame Where it extends between the lower end of the front leg 2l! and the lateral spreader I2 which in yturn extends between the lower ends of the rear legs 22. Thelongitudinal spreader may be a simple straight member which is substantially horizontal when the machine is in operating position as shown in Fig. 1. To gain the desired strength and rigidity I prefer to form the longitudinal spreader of a tube of substantial diameter and I securely or vrigidl'yfix `it to the 'lateral spreader I2 and the leg '23, preferably by welding. y

Thebraces I4 and I5 couple Vthe legs of the frame withthe longitudinal Vspreader and they serve primarily to stiften the frame lengthwise of the machine, although thehraces 'l5 'for the rear legs `22 are Valso enectve in bracing the frame the formation of this element of H laterally. The brace I4 is a single, simple part extending diagonally between the front leg 20 and the longitudinal spreader I3. The braces I5 for the rear legs 22 extend diagonally from the spreader I3 to the legs 22 and these braces extend diagonally in two directions, that is, longitudinally of the machine and also laterally. The lower ends of the braces VII! and IS are joined to or connect with the longitudinal spreader I3 intermediate its ends and they preferably connect to the spreader I3 at points spaced a substantial distance apart so that the frame at the middle portion is wholly unobstructed above the longitudinal spreader I3 as will be seen from an examination oi Fig. l of the drawings. In practice the braces I4 and I5 are of such size and length as to eiectively brace the legs of the frame and I may form the braces of tubular stock so that they are light and rigid. The braces may be joined to the other frame parts in any suitable manner. as for instance by welding.

The wheels B provided to support the rear end portion of the machine are preferably located on an axis transverse of the machine and in accordance with my invention they are mounted on extension 3|) of the spreader I2 immediately outside of the frame as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. It will be apparent that the wheel supporting extensions 30 may be integral continuations of the spreader I2 in which case the spreader becomes, in eiect, an axle for carrying the wheels `as well as lan active part lof the frame A.

The root C provided tosupp'ort the forward end lof the frame includes a part 3| extending downwardly from the forward lower 'corner of the frame where the front leg 20 joins the longitudinal spreader I3, and ya lbearing plate 32 on the lower end of the depending part 3|. In practice the foot part 3| is formed as Ian integral extension or continuation or the channel member which forms the front leg 20 and the bearing plate 32 is a simple ilat plate secured to the lower end of the beam as for instance by welding.

The tongue D projects forward from the lower forward corner of the frame and is provided at its outer end with lan eye portion 35 or other suitable coupling part by which the tongue may be coupled to a hitch such as may be employed on a suitable draft vehicle. The tongue D is preferably a straight rigid tubular part and in accordance with my lconstruction it is an integral continuationof the longitudinal spreader I3. When the foot part 3| is integral with the channel .forining the leg 20 and the tongue is an integral contn-uation of the longitudinal spreader I3, the channel and the tube forming the spreader and tongue maybe related by passing the tube through an opening in the web of the channel and welding the tube and channel together in the desired crossed relation.

The yoke F yof the machine is an important element since with my construction it not only serves to carry the mixing bowl but I also preferably employ it as Va structural element Ibetween the upper end porti-on ofthe front and rear bearing supports, stiifening and stabilizing the entire machine. In accordance with my preferred construction the yoke has a main section or body 4I), arms 4| projecting laterally from the ends of the body and trunnions 42 projecting from the arms to be carried inthe bearings 2| and 23.

In accordance with my invention the body of the yoke .is a simple, straight tubular part and the `arms 4I areplates xed or joined to the ends of the tube, as 'by welding or the like. .By em` ploying a tube in the formation of the body 40 of the yoke I obtain a light construction which is strong and rigid; The plates forming the arms 4l are suiciently heavy to rigidly connect or couple the trunnions 42 with the body 4t. I lprefer to form the trunnions so that they 1are tubular and I thereby am able to rigidly and dependably join the trunnions to the arms as by welding, :and the trunnions have large bearing surfaces providing eiective rigid bearing engagement of the trunnions in the bearings bracing the -upper end portion of the structure 'against racking. It is to ybe understood of course that the trunnions are rotatably supported in the lbearings 2i `and 23 s0 that the yoke which extends between and couples the upper end portions of the supports of the frame is rotatable about a horizontal axis extending lengthwise of the machine.

The means G provided for retaining the yoke in the desired rotative -position may vary widely in form and construction. The means G is preferably located at the forward end of the machine and in accordance with my invention it involves a nger lever by' which the means G may be operated and which serves as a lever or handle for rotating the yoke when the means G is released. In the construction illustrated the means G includes, generally, a working part or lever 43, a bracket 44 by which the lever t3 is coupled to the trunnion carried in the forward bearing 2| and a latch plate 45 fixed to the front leg 2l) iadjacent the bearing 2 l.

The lever 43 may be a simple, longitudinal strap or the like having s, projecting end forming a handle and having an inturned end 46 carrying a latch -pin 41 which cooperates with the latch plate 45. The bracket lili lby which the lever 43 is supported may be a longitudinal channel member fixed to the end of the trunnion carried in the bearing 2l to extend transversely of the axis of the trunnion. The sides or flanges i8 of the lbracket confine the lever between them and a spring 49 carried on a stem 5E! projecting from the :bracket normally yieldingly urges the lever inwardly or into position to be confined between the flanges of the bracket.

The latch plate 45 may be segmental shaped part suitably xed to the frame A and, 'as shown in the drawings, it is provided with a suitable series of apertures 5a to receive the latch pin 41. The series of apertures is concentric with the axis of the yoke and the pin 41 is such as to selectively enter the apertures 55a when moved into register therewith. The spring 't9 normally yieldingly holds the lever Q3 in position where the latch pin 41 enters and is maintained in seated engagement in one of the apertures of the latch plate. To release the latch pin from the latch plate the handle portion of the lever 43 is swung in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. and when the latch pinis released from the latch plate the lever may be used as a means for conveniently swinging or turning the yoke on its axis. In practice I may provide any desired number of apertures 45a in the latch plate and I may locate the apertures so that the yoke can be set to hold the mixing bowl in the desired operating positions.

The mixing bowl H may be of the type generally employed in devices of this general character and it is suitably mounted in the yoke by the means J. The particular mixing bowl illustrated in the drawings includes a cylindrical body 5l closed at its lower end by a bottom 52 and an extension 53 of the body which is tapered or in the nature of a truncated cone the large end of which joins the body 5| while the small end is open providing an access opening for the bowl. The mounting means J rotatably supporting the bowl in the yoke on an axis transverse of that of the yoke preferably involves a xed pin 55 projecting from the body 40 of the yoke at a point midway between the arms 4I and in the same direction as the arms 4i so that its axis intersects that of the yoke. A bearing cage 56 is carried by the bowl, preferably by the bottom 52 of the bowl, so that it is located within the bowl, and suitable anti-friction bearings 51 and 58 act between the pin 55 and the cage 56. The cage is preferably closed keeping foreign matter from the bearings 51 and 58, and it will be understood that in practice I may use any suitable anti-friction bearings, it being preferred to use bearings which are combined radial and thrust bearings in order that the bowl may be effectively and dependably supported from the yoke.

The power means K provided for driving the bowl H may be any suitable prime mover, for example, it may be a suitable electric motor or a small internal combustion engine 60, such as I have indicated in the drawings.

The mounting means L that I provide formounting the engine 6l! is located at the rear end portion of the frame A and in the particular case illustrated it involves an L-shaped bracket having a horizontal flange 6| on which the enginev is mounted, and a vertical flange 62 that bears ony the faces 26 of the rear legs 22. The vertical flange 62 is joined or coupled to the legs 22 so that the mounting L may be shifted bodily relative to the frame, preferably vertically relative to the frame. In the case illustrated bolts 64 are carried by the rear legs 22 of the frame and extend through vertical slots 65 provided in the vertical flange 62. When the bolts 64 are tight the flange 62 is rigidly held in position at the rear of the frame, whereas when the bolts 54 are loosened the mounting L is free to be shifted or adjusted vertically at the rear of the frame.

The drive M provided between the power means K and the bowl I-I involves a drive shaft 1o rotatably supported in the tubular trunnion of the yoke which is, in turn, rotatably carried in the rear bearing 23. The shaft 1G carries a pinion 1l having meshing engagement with a ring gear 12 surrounding the bowl preferably at the end portion of the body of the bowl to which the extension 53 is joined. In the particular case illustrated the ring gear 12 is a part formed separately from the bowl and is secured thereto by suitable fastening means 14.

The drive provided between the engine Se and the shaft 10 may be a simple drive and in practice I prefer to employ a belt drive, in which case a belt 15 operates over a drive pulley 15 on the engine shaft and over a driven pulley 11 on the shaft 1l). In practice it is drive pulley 16 may be small relative to the driven pulley 11.

hereinabove described effectively cooperates with the-drive above described, since by shifting the` mounting vertically I am able to effect the elesired adjustment of the belt drive. When it is desired to tighten the belt it is a very simple matter to loosen the bolts 64 and to allow the weight of the means K and L to tighten the beltdesirable to employ al. small high speed engine 60, in which case the The adjustable mounting means L.-

7 the working parts subject lto being adversely affected vby foreign matter. As shown in the drawings I prefer to 'provide a housing 30 to encase the engine and the shaft 10. The housing 80 may be a suitable sheet metal structure provided at its rear end with a hinged closure Bl or the like by which the interior of the housing is made accessible. It is preferred, in practice, to mount the housing on the bracket of the means L. However, it will be apparent that the housing may, if desired, be secured to the frame A so that it is permanently fixed relative to the frame, in which case the mountngbracket of means L will shift within the housing.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have provided a machine which may be constructed so that it is light, compact, and convenient to operate, at the same time being sturdy and durable and unusually inexpensive of construction. In handling the machine it may be moved from place to place with little effort by lifting the forward end through the tongue D. When the tongue is lifted the frame swings about the axis of the wheels B and the center of gravity of the machine shifts rearwardly making it very easy to handle. When it is desired to move the machine by means of a shaft vehicle the tongue is lifted and coupled to the vehicle and when so coupled the greater part of the weight of the machine is borne by the wheels B and the draft vehicle is not burdened or over loaded but functions mainly to merely roll the machine on the wheels B.

When the machine is being used to mix materials it operates in the general manner common to mixers of this type, that is, the bowl is driven and tilted as required, it being understood that the bowl may be equipped with baffles or fins as circumstances require in order that it act to most effectively mix the materials being handled.

The retaining means G that I have provided is an exceedingly simple, inexpensive mechanism conveniently located and easily operated. In handling or operating the machine the frame being simple and compact does not interfere with convenient location of auxiliary equipment such as wheelbarrows, or the like adjacent the machine to receive material from the mixing bowl. Furthermore it will be apparent that I may, whenever desired, reverse the bowl by swinging the yoke F 180 from the position shown in Fig. 1, in which case the yoke will be up and the mouth of the bowl face down. It may be desirable to position the bowl in this manner when it is being moved from one location to another. As the machine operates the frame A in and of itself serves as an effective support for the front and rear bearings 2l and 23, while the trunnions of the yoke being carried in the bearings couples the rigid yoke F with the upper end portions of the uprights of the frame to effectively brace and stabilize the entire frame structure. It is also important to note that by having provided a machine vof the character described with but few simple exposed parts, the machine is easily maintained in proper clean operating condition as there are few points at which material can accumulate or be deposited in the normal course of operation.

Having described only a typical preferred form r and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details 8 herein set forth, but Wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claim.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A machine of the character described including, a horizontal transverse spreader, ground engaging wheels on the ends of the spreader, a single straight vertical member located centrally of the machine forward of the transverse spreader and having a ground engaging base on its lower end and an opening through it above its lower end, a tubular longitudinal spreader having its rear end attached to the kfirst mentioned spreader at the middle thereof and extending forward therefrom and through said opening, said longitudinal spreader being fixed to the said vertical member and having a tongue portion projecting forward therefrom a diagonal brace fixed to said member at a point spaced above the said opening and to the longitudinal spreader at a point spaced rearward from said member, legs extending upwardly and inwardly from the transverse spreader immediately inside the wheels and in a vertical plane transverse of the machine, the upper ends of the legs being joined together at the center of the machine, aligned bearings carried by the upper ends of the legs and the upper end of said member on an axis directly above and substantially parallel with the longitudinal spreader, braces fixed to the legs at points above the transverse spreader and extending forward, inward, and downward therefrom and fixed to the longitudinal spreader forward of the transverse spreader, a yoke with trunnions rotatable in said bearings, a mixing drum rotatably carried by the yoke on an axis normal to that of the bearings, latch means on the foremost trunnion of the vyoke releasably holding the yoke against turning, a bracket engaging the legs at the upper portions thereof, means coupling said bracket to the Ylegs for vertical adjustment relative to the legs, a box-like housing at the bracket and vprojecting rearwardly from the legs at the upper portions thereof, a prime mover fixed on the bracket and located in the housing, and a drive from the prime mover to the drum including, a shaft rotatably carried in the rearmost trunnion of the yoke, a drive pulley operated by the prime mover, a driven pulley on the rearmost trunnion, a belt operating over and between said pulleys, and a gear drive from said rearmost trunnion to the drum.

BRYANT ESSICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,453,323 Palmeter May 1, 1923 1,475,904 Vandenplas Nov. 27, 1923 l1,760,906 Johnson June 3 1930 2,207,011 Hopkins July 9, 1940 2,299,888 Fesenmaier Oct. 17, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,198 Australia Mar. 16, 1931 355,850 Great Britain Sept. 3, 1941 680,531 France May 1 1930 

